


in your sins, just me and you

by junhoism



Series: big reputation, big reputations [1]
Category: Produce 101 (TV), Wanna One (Band)
Genre: Actor!jihoon, Angst, Celebrities, Exes, Idol!Baejin, M/M, Post-Break Up, We Got Married
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-01-26
Updated: 2018-01-26
Packaged: 2019-03-09 08:16:35
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,914
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/13477416
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/junhoism/pseuds/junhoism
Summary: The year is 2024. We Got Married reboots, trying it new with more than just hetero agenda. Bae Jinyoung and Park Jihoon are thrown into it involuntarily, cursing fate for pairing them together. Again.(k-ent!au where idol baejin and actor jihoon find that even the six degrees of separation aren’t enough against the pull of destiny.)





	in your sins, just me and you

**Author's Note:**

  * For [baetokki](https://archiveofourown.org/users/baetokki/gifts).



> if you have no idea what WGM is/how it works, please check [here](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/We_Got_Married) for some background info. I swear it helps. Based on [this tweet](https://twitter.com/neomuverymark/status/907973585855160321) and the teaser will be vaguely based on [this edit](https://youtu.be/M97x61wWAIs) of winkdeep on wgm!!! (please watch the vid and give it a thumbs up!) also kudos and comment if u enjoyed~ as usual [@neomuverymark](http://twitter.com/neomuverymark) on twt. [masterlist](https://strayngekids.tumblr.com/masterlist)

Jinyoung wakes up to the incessant blaring of Psy’s New Face. He knows it’s someone calling, which isn’t new. Known for being late to events after moving out of the dorm, he’s always being phoned to get his ass moving. The thing is this-- his manager has a custom ringtone.

  
The ringtone is of a male sergeant shouting, with gunshots and sirens in the background. Truly an effective way to wake himself up. It usually ends up with him on the floor, shaken from the warfare. Memories of his army experience would greet him once he hits the floor, too.

  
Indeed, good morning to him.

  
But this time, the call isn't urgent but still relentless. It takes a lot of phone calls to wake Jinyoung up-- moreover if it’s a song-- but the caller has been tirelessly trying. So he gives in, wanting to get it over and done with. It was his first off day, free of any schedules or practices, in three months for god’s sake. Couldn't a guy catch a break? Not if you were Bae Jinyoung apparently.

  
He blearily reaches over to his bedside table, petting around for his phone. He feels a cool metal surface and presses it to his cheek, mumbling a quiet “Hello?”

  
No reply. He agitatedly cracks an eye open, wanting to check why the hell one of his contacts was prank calling him. Realizing he hadn't swiped to accept the call, he slaps himself. No wonder Psy was still singing. “Hello?”

  
The caller ID had shown Yoon Jaechan -- and the voice which resonates through the phone is the same. “Jinyoung-ah, check your messages.”

  
“Ah hyung, you call me for the first time in forever and that's all you say to me?”

  
“You really didn't change didn't you, complaining this early in the morning. I’d tell you myself, but I know you're not sane without your Americano or whatever pretentious coffee you drink.”

  
“That's why, no idea why you called at this hour.” Jinyoung opens his eyes for a split second to see that it’s actually 10am, but it’s early, okay? “I'll check it out later.”

  
“Fine, whatever. Don't say I didn't warn you.” Jinyoung can envision Jaechan rolling his eyes while talking. “It’s about our school, by the way. Call me after you see the news, okay?”

  
Jinyoung makes a noise of affirmation, and the line goes dead. He rolls around in bed for another thirty minutes, mindlessly scrolling through Twitter and Instagram, before he gets up. He pads around the empty apartment, foregoing washing his face or brushing his teeth.

  
There wasn't an occasion to prepare for, anyway. It’s twenty minutes after he gets out of bed where everything seems presentable. He has coffee brewing, water boiling for ramyun and Xia Junsu playing in the background.

  
An ideal morning, if you asked him. He finally deems it an appropriate time to read his messages, holding his favorite mug of himself and periodically sipping from it. Skipping Jaechan’s messages, he opens his group chat with his fellow band members.

 

 _ **《 wantyouonce》**_  
**hwidoongie** :  
naver.com/article/2021-12-12/....  
i dont think this is what jinyoung meant when he said he wanted solo schedules [07:12]

  
**pwj1999** :  
??? [07:15]  
oH SHIT [07:17]

  
He opens the link Daehwi had sent, and his jaw drops, along with the coffee he was holding. Luckily it was only a short height away from the table, and the mug lands safely. Coffee sloshes dangerously close to the rim of the mug, but Jinyoung pays it no heed, shell-shocked.

  
**WANTYOUONCE'S BAE JINYOUNG AND PARK JIHOON NEXT IN LINE FOR WE GOT MARRIED** is the glaring headline.

 

Oh, fuck.

  
**_《 wantyouonce 》_ **  
**baejin:**  
THE FUCK IS THIS  
what kind of fuckery!!!!!! [11:12]

  
**pwj1999:**  
mood [11:13]

  
**laikl:**  
check with manager hyung first [11:13]

  
Kuanlin was really not given enough credit for being a smart maknae. He prays to every deity out there, even to the Greek gods and their Roman counterparts. He pleads it not to be true, antsy while waiting for his manager to pick up. “Jinyoung-ah?”

  
“Hyung, tell me it’s not true, please.”

  
“Oh, you must’ve heard the news?” His manager sounds calm, the complete opposite of Jinyoung’s state.

  
He nearly screams into the phone, holding himself back at the last minute. “How can you be so nonchalant about this?!”

  
“I thought you wanted a regular spot in a main broadcasting station’s show. This is exactly that. Also, you’re open with your sexuality, right?”

  
“I meant Running Man or Infinity Challenge,” Jinyoung stresses, ruffling his hair. “This isn't about me. There are just too many things wrong with this. Is there any way I can back out of this?”

  
“Sorry, kid. The company director already signed the contract. On the bright side, this scored the whole group a guesting on Weekly Idol. You might be a new host on Show Champion, too.”

  
Jinyoung sighs, knowing all too well how the entertainment world worked. He resigns himself to his fate, guessing he was always meant to live a stressful life. “Never mind. I can't even buy myself out of this, huh?” He laughs emptily. “Thanks anyway, hyung. I’ll see you tomorrow.”

  
The problem is that Jinyoung shouldn't ever be within a three meter's radius of Park Jihoon ever again. He wants to call bullshit, sue the journalist for defamation or something. But his company goes and confirms that the headline is true, and he finds himself groaning.

 

There are countless other rising celebrities and top stars to choose from, so why did We Got Married have to put _them_ together? And why the hell did his company approve of this? And why the hell was he not aware of this?

  
“They better not be using sexuality just for the views. This is the way for the country to see the light, not to fetishize BL even more. Do it for that, Jinyoung-ah.” He listens to the quiet thrum of the ringtone, downing his mug of coffee in one go. The ramyun sits on the turned-off stove, long forgotten.

  
“Hello, Jaechan-hyung? Yeah, I’m fucked.”

  
°°°°°°

  
The difficult thing about the six degrees of separation is that, in the words of The Script, is that it’s ‘every man for himself’. Aside from the chorus where they go through what exactly the six degrees are, it's that line that Jinyoung finds the most ironic.

  
Six degrees of separation, while he was directly connected to Jihoon once upon a time, was something Jinyoung became familiar to. It didn’t really have to be this way, if Jihoon hadn’t become an actor, if Jihoon hadn’t fucking left him in the dust like he was nothing. If Jihoon hadn’t been such a image-conscious prick, it would have been different.

  
Look at Hong Seokcheon.

  
Or take Jinyoung for example, who came out as bisexual on Yoo Jaesuk’s talk show because he didn’t want to hide. The backlash was crazy real, but so was the support from both members and fans. The strength given to the hiding teens in the conservative society was given, too. It came with the price of his sexuality being tagged on him like it was the only thing that defined him, yes, but that was fine with Jinyoung.

  
The real price to pay was bigger than this after all. Jinyoung sits in his room, fulfilling the mission by writing a letter filled with meaningless promises that were meant to be broken. He wonders if he could be an asshole and write all the things Jihoon said to Jinyoung.

  
The time they rode a roller coaster together, _Jinyoung-ah, hold hyung’s hand. You have nothing to fear, I’ll be right here._

  
Under the largest and oldest tree in the campus- the cherry blossoms falling and swaying in the wind picturesquely. _This tree remains just like my love for you. Don’t laugh, I’m serious here!_ Jinyoung would nod placatingly and press a kiss to Jihoon’s cheek.

  
_I love you, Jinyoung-ah._

  
Maybe forever would have worked out. But.  
(The oldest tree’s branches got cut down because of the flocks of birds that would gather during the summer when Jinyoung was in his senior year. So yeah, Jinyoung doesn’t blame Jihoon in that aspect.)

  
Now, Jinyoung just knows Jihoon as the actor from the hit movie _Get Ugly_ , known for his reversal charm -- or whatever they called it these days. He played the character ‘Minhyuk’, who was the leader of a gang yet acted cutely towards his love interest. Usual straight agenda.

  
If you seriously were to ask Jinyoung how he knew Jihoon personally, with evidence that he did, he’d tell you this: “Jihoon-sunbae is a friend of Ju Haknyeon’s, who went to school with Euiwoong who worked with Sewoon-sunbae on an album. Sewoon is close to Donghyun-hyung, who's close to Daehwi who's in my group.”

  
He could have said he and Jihoon went to the same school, but he knew Jihoon wanted to detach their names and act like strangers. Jinyoung is reminded of his trainee days when --

  
_Day forty of being a trainee. The upside? Jinyoung was seen as respected because he already had done his military service immediately after high school. There were trainees older than Jinyoung who hadn't been to the army yet, so it was a plus on his side._

_The newly waxed floors felt slippery against Jinyoung’s feet, and he smiled at his reflection in the mirror as the song ended._

_  
Here Jinyoung was, twenty and a month-long trainee._

_  
He goes out to refill his bottle of water when one of the company managers walked by, someone close behind. He cranes his neck, curious to know who it was. Maybe a new trainee? Finally someone he could boss around without having to play the age card?_

_  
Wrong. “Oh, say hi. This is Park Jihoon, the actor in _Get Ugly_. You've watched the movie, right?”_

_  
Forcing a rigid nod, Jinyoung bows slightly. He’s unable to maintain his expressionlessness, and falters. His eyes are a hybrid of stars and flames, equal parts relieved to see Jihoon and wanting to punch him in the face. “Yeah. We’ve met.”_

_  
Jihoon’s gentle grin turns into a straight line, lips pressing together in what seems to be repressing of anger. “Could you give us a moment? I just want to give a little advice to my school junior.” The smile he sends the manager’s way is nothing short of charming, and Jinyoung feels pricked._

_  
“Are you crazy? You can’t act like this every time we meet again.” Jihoon’s pull against his arm is rough and impatient, a complete opposite to all his previous encounters with Jinyoung._

_  
Jinyoung laughs bitterly, no true humor behind it. “I’m sorry, I’m far from perfect. You have to give me time, I’m still trying to erase you perfectly.” He bows deeply. “You want me to pretend I don't know you, right? Fine. But please take care of me in the future, Jihoon-sunbae.”_

_  
There’s a dim blaze in Jihoon’s eyes, far from the one in Jinyoung’s. The younger wonders if it’s a lost cause to pray that Jihoon would reach out and apologize at least, for what he did. It doesn't have to be getting back together, but just to see a piece of the old Jihoon remain._

_  
But that’s almost impossible, isn't it?_

_  
Giving a curt nod, Jihoon stalks away. Jinyoung realizes only after that he’s breathless, still rendered powerless by Jihoon’s presence alone._

  
\-- so of course Jinyoung knows Jihoon would have avoided him, too. Both men were doing it for themselves, but they ended up in a compromising situation, still. He wonders why the hell Jihoon agreed to doing this, when they both had a non-verbal agreement never to see each other again.

  
The twist was this: Jihoon was an idiot. His manager says as much, too.

  
“Jihoon-ah, look over this.” The aforementioned man’s manager passes him a black file, marked as classified. He scrunches his nose. He usually never had to do these legal stuff. Flipping it open, he immediately zeroes in on the huge _We Got Married_ on the page, with his name.

  
Shutting it closed, he can’t help the smile which creeps onto his face. “I don’t want to look. Just sign me up.”

  
“Jihoon-ah, this is completely different from the original WGM. You should really take a look before making a decision. The boss is worried that you might regret signing up.”

  
“Hyung,” Jihoon says plainly, “I’ve been waiting for a rerun of this show since it ended. Do you know how sad I was when it ended? No need for this.” He tosses the file back as politely as he can while still proving his point. “I’m so ready to be the second Jung Yonghwa. Watch me become the Nation’s Boyfriend.”

  
His manager, still dubious, nods anyway. He thumbs the file to the last page, sliding it to Jihoon. “Well, sign the contract.”

  
Giddily, Jihoon signs without second thought. (Later, he’ll regret not listening to his manager. He knows that Manager Knows Best but his extreme stubbornness always bites him in the ass. But later.)

  
“Do you want me to give you a hint on who it is?”

  
“Uh, sure, I guess.”

 

“The person was originally from your high school.”

  
It’s out of habit, he’d say, that his mind would immediately spit out Jinyoung’s name. _Eh, no way,_ he thinks. _No way he’d agree to doing it with me. Not unless he wants a second heartbreak._

  
But he’s forgotten this: Jinyoung’s always been a masochist.

  
Jihoon would say he doesn’t really know Jinyoung anymore, anyway. It’s been four years since that rainy day -

  
_Hushed whispers and the sound of an acoustic guitar strumming lightly. Just nice, the rain was starting to fall, complementing the atmosphere. It should be relaxing, but Jihoon was anything but at ease. Until the end, his heart was pulling at its strings, trying to convince him not to do it._

_  
Jihoon was kind of tired of being a puppet._

_  
He made up his mind weeks ago, but never gathered the courage to actually lead his feet here. A place that was originally filled with the most beautiful moments of his relationship, would eventually be the place of its demise._

_Dread fills him, and he finds the need to rehearse, not trusting himself to speak coherently when the situation called for it. His lips part, clenching his fists. For himself, the selfish side says. “Jinyoung-ah, let’s break up.”_

_  
It’s the hardest thing that he’s ever had to do._ _But Jihoon’s been used to living with regrets, this wouldn’t be the first one._

_  
The bell at the door of the cafe, signalling someone’s entrance, shakes and a melodious ringing sounds. Jihoon finds himself looking up and_

  
\- he brushes the memory away. Fuck his wired brain for always bringing it up whenever anything remotely related to Jinyoung. Or just, you know, fuck.

  
But yeah, painful memories aside, We Got Married was a go.

  
°°°°°°

  
Jihoon avoided the news and social media for an entire week, for the seven days leading up to his first filming day. The camera crew had already gone to the filming set for his new drama _Starboy_. They came with a mission, the very first of many to come he hoped.

  
(Fate would be granting his wish soon. But later.)

  
_Seven days of pure focus_ , he told himself, _then you’ll be free of all these lines_. “No way, not from the first episode,” he told his manager when the latter passed him the script for the first filming of We Got Married.

“Let me live, hyung. Let me go the first episode without having to act so much, I do that every day as it is.” Whining gets him far, and his manager is weak, so without a script he goes.

  
Jihoon is, after all, a master at improvisation. Even his break up was improv, and his acting teacher would applaud him for the performance he put up for that.

  
Three cameras, stationed at different parts of the bus he was on, shot him from up close. He looks out the window, lips upturning just slightly, letting a contented sigh escape. It was picture-perfect, he could imagine the editors’ caption already. The Ideal Boyfriend, who was the lucky person?

  
He gets off the bus, not forgetting to bow deeply to the bus driver. He instinctively knows that behind him, the face of his partner was plastered on the other side of the bus. Typical of MBC, to recycle things that went far back to Khuntoria era.

  
“How do you feel right now?” The producer asks, stopping him after the bus drives off.

  
“Kind of heart-fluttering and I also really anticipate what’s to come,” he says. The smile he has is genuine, this time. “I’m really excited to see who my partner is.”

  
“And… cut! That was a good line, Jihoon-ssi. We’re filming mostly the teaser and a little bit of the first episode today. The first actual filming for missions will start on Sunday. You’ll be able to see the first teaser on Friday.”

  
“That’s fast,” Jihoon nods, impressed. “Thank you, you’ve all worked hard.”

  
“Now, please head up to the fifth floor to wait for your partner.” The producer ushers him into the MBC building. He’s no stranger to the place, having shot a drama under the broadcasting station. He attributes the twisting of his stomach to the excitement of meeting a new person.

  
“Can I sit here?” He asks, smiling sheepishly at the cameraman in the room. The producer next to him nods, and he finds himself releasing a long breath. “Ah, I’m so nervous, seriously.”

  
He doesn't have to wait long. He hums just one of The Boyz’s songs and a cameraman goes into the room where he sits, anticipating. That's when it all crumbles down.

  
Trying his best not to look tense, he tries (and fails miserably) to try to look happy. He licks his lips instead, glad he doesn't have a script to follow. He’d inevitably be unable to deliver his lines, struck by who the fuck just walked in.

  
“Hello,” cue a deep and hurried bow, accompanied by darting eyes. Bae Jinyoung.

  
Fuck Jihoon’s life, honestly.

  
“Hello, I am actor Park Jihoon.” His hands are poised in front of him in a polite gesture, but his fists are closed tightly. He hopes the cameras don’t catch on to his bubbling anger.

  
“I really wanted to meet you so it’s an honor, sunbae.” Jinyoung beams, and Jihoon bites back a curse. How _dare_ Jinyoung appear in front of him? Jinyoung takes Jihoon’s tense speechlessness in stride, moving past him. He picks up the bottle of peach juice, keeping his face bright and thankful. “Did you buy this for me?”

  
Jihoon doesn’t know what makes him angrier, the fact that he knows Jinyoung’s faking his thankfulness or the fact that his faking seems so real. He keeps quiet, afraid that he’ll throw a punch any moment.

  
Jinyoung bows again, taking the bottle of juice and lifting it in slight wonder, as if endorsing it. Maybe he was a commercial model for the brand, Jihoon wouldn’t know. “How could you know what kind of juice I liked and buy it for me?”

  
Again, he’s met with silence. Jihoon knows he’s losing, looking like an absolute fool in face of this variety rookie. Jinyoung looks like a winner, from his styling, to his natural acting to his smile. “Thank you.”

  
“Stop,” he whispers, knowing it falls onto deaf ears. Except maybe the audio director, who wouldn’t dare interrupt the play Jinyoung was doing by himself.

  
“Oh, right. I saw the movie you starred in, sunbae.” He looks up, giving a content sigh. He stands beside Jihoon, and the heat he radiates irritates Jihoon. “You were really cool in it.”

  
_Oh, look at him?_ Jihoon thinks. _Two can play this game_. “I saw your performances too. You can act really well too, I feel.” It’s paired with the most pleasant smile Jihoon can muster.

He can’t even imagine what a field day the editors will have with this footage, too thrown off-balance by the stranger that stands in front of him. Shoulders straight and broad, teeth slightly showing with perfect skin-- you were telling him that _this_ was Bae Jinyoung?

  
They look at each other in silence, the air charged with both forced harmony and hostility. Their eyes speak a different story, fire burning against fire, and Jihoon finds himself… not acting.

  
“And… cut! We’ll redo the scenes later, if we find that it doesn't suit the episode itself. It’s just clips for now, after all.” The director looks over his screenplay, and Jihoon feels the artificiality of the show finally kicking in.

  
Truly, he was a lonely fool for thinking he could find love in a show like this. When it was just another drama with a looser script and less plot development. Jihoon, however, was a loser who craved just that.

  
Then there was Jinyoung.

  
“You can take a break for now, we’ll go again in ten minutes.”

  
Jinyoung-- what was _he_ doing here? Idols’ fans hated this show. To this day, 2pm Wooyoung’s fans detested mentions of him ever having joined the show. Actors, on the other hand, weren't as reliant on fandom as idols were. Jihoon had nothing to lose.

  
It’s a given that Jihoon should have the bigger issues, the bigger picture to focus on. His sexuality, ousted on We Got Married of all places? (To be fair, his second role was one akin to Lee Hoya’s in Reply 1997. He played a high school boy in love with his best friend, so maybe it wouldn't come off as a surprise.)

  
But Jinyoung? He’d even dare to say that Jinyoung would have nothing left to lose.

  
“Manage your facial expression,” Jihoon bites at Jinyoung. They stay seated, two feet away from each other on their separate director chairs.

  
“It’s you who should fix your facial expressions. If you’re an actor, shouldn’t you be able to act like you want this at least?” Jinyoung shoots back almost immediately. He isn't backing down today. “Or you don't have to. Just play yourself, even if you’re a demon, or if you make me feel like shit… The show must go on, right?

  
“Everything is done for you, within your plan, bent to your will. Because _you_ are the main character, right? I’m just a single piece in your puzzle.” Jinyoung’s laugh isn't choked up, unlike the last time they had spoken. “The show must go on.”

  
How dare Jinyoung say these things like the two of them were alone? Jihoon can see his own makeup artist biting her lip, as if trying not to react towards the cold words. All Jihoon built, crumbling down because Jinyoung decides to be selfish again?

  
Over his dead body.

  
Jihoon’s speciality is speaking with the sweetest tone, no matter what the context. It’s what shot him to superstardom, and what let him remain an A-lister. It might be the first time he’s using it off-set, though. “I know idols are usually shit at acting, and I don't expect you to be any different. But I trust you're mature enough to be professional?”

  
“Maybe so,” Jinyoung replies without missing a beat. “But I’ll surely never catch up to your lies.”

  
The staff scatter and disperse, faces the epitome of scalded. Jihoon swears he hears someone whisper ‘yikes’. He never meets Jinyoung’s eyes, but can see from his peripheral vision that Jinyoung has been trying to catch his.

  
Might as well practice now. He turns slightly, looking Jinyoung dead in the eye. Startled, Jinyoung blinks rapidly. Jihoon swears for a moment Jinyoung looked awestruck, but pushes the thought away.

  
The filming resumes.

  
°°°°°°

 _ **《 wantyouonce 》**_  
**pwj1999:**  
heard from a little birdie that jinyoung’s wgm teaser is coming out later at 5pm [16:11]  
dont miss it guys [16:12]

  
**baejin:**  
was it daehwi? ugh kill me [16:15]

  
**pwj1999:**  
still have no idea how u can work with ur ex and pretend to be lovey dovey…  
truly actor bae [16:16]

  
**baejin:**  
i dont play with demons fuck off [16:16]

  
It’s not like Jinyoung is waiting up for the teaser. It’s just that he ended work at eight in the morning, took a nap and woke up near the time. Also, it’s not bad to monitor your work, it’s for science and improvements.

  
He knows inside that what he wants to see is whether Jihoon and he still have the same chemistry from seven years ago. Don't blame a guy from trying, okay? It’s not that Jinyoung wants to get back together, he swears. It’s just that he wants the suffocating tension, that's there but unspoken like a too strong perfume, to be gone.

  
Time ticks as Jinyoung half-watches Weekly Idol reruns and half-plays Starcraft. He finds himself unfocused, too busy trying to make sure he catches the teaser. The sound of Fifth Harmony’s BOSS catches him and he finds himself looking up. Lo and behold, a We Got Married teaser.

  
**2017’s hottest couple’s entrance! Receiving love from all citizens, those… guys(!?)** is what shows up on screen, and Jinyoung cringes. **New couple, Park Jihoon ♡ Bae Jinyoung! He who showed a reversal charm on Get Ugly, Wink Guy Park Jihoon…**

  
Jinyoung gets whiplash from the clip they show of Jihoon, and he rubs at his neck. Jihoon’s appearance alone still had such a strong effect on him. He gives a cheshire cat smile when he himself appears on TV, satisfied by the caption and clips they used for him. **‘In Spring, I’ the charming voice, Bae Jinyoung.**

  
Clips of them receiving the first mission card flash on the screen, and as much as Jinyoung doesn’t want to admit it, they would look good together. In theory, of course.

  
They show the original scene they shot, of Jinyoung bowing heavily and Jihoon looking petrified. The older’s talks in an interview setting about how it was very good to have Jinyoung, and how he was _cute_ , and Jinyoung finally acknowledges that Jihoon was a good actor. Passable and convincing.

  
The teaser ends with what’s to come, things they shot separately. Jinyoung feels his phone vibrating forcefully, but he’s dazed, captured by the look in Jihoon’s eyes in that one frame. He can’t help but think back to --

  
_Stargazing. Something on Jinyoung’s bucket list, not quite ticked off with one of the people he loved most. There weren't any stars out tonight._

   
_Yet there was just something about Jihoon’s presence that calmed Jinyoung down yet set him on fire. The feeling of all-consuming fire-- the urge to take Jihoon and wrap himself around the older. At the same time, the undeniable desire to let himself be overpowered, to be shaken to the core by Jihoon._

  
_It’d be a lie to say Jinyoung didn't want that._ _Seventeen, naive and expectant was Bae Jinyoung. Out of all of the attributes he possessed at that age, he’d say that the only one he retained until now was courage. What he had then was reckless courage, the embodiment of youth._

  
_Now, he’d subdued it to a wary courageousness, one that he honed. But the Jinyoung of then, at seventeen, was fearless. Atop a grassy hill, with two boys who had yet to realize their dreams, Jinyoung pointed out something that would change his world. “Look, a shooting star! Make a wish, hyung.”_

  
_Jihoon closed his eyes, oblivious to Jinyoung’s gaze on him. He opened them again, peeking slightly to see Jinyoung’s eyes fixated on him. “Hey, did you even make a wish?”_

  
_“Why would I need to, when all I need is here already?” Jinyoung’s smile was melancholic, and that didn't escape Jihoon’s notice. The younger looked up to the sky, and Jihoon swore that all the stars in the sky were in Jinyoung’s eyes. “I went to a fortune teller last year, because my aunt is superstitious, you know. The teller said I’d meet someone precious within the year._

  
_“I guess I know now that that person is you.” Jinyoung’s heart beats out of his chest. “What I’m trying to say is… If there could be one person to take your side always and see your crazed side… Couldn't that person be me?”_

  
_Jinyoung’s eyes shimmer with tears, and Jihoon’s heart wrenches at the sight. It was a confession, one directly from Jinyoung’s heart, so why was he crying? The younger blinks, and the tears roll down his cheeks like pearls. “I just want to be part of the star that you are, hyung.”_

  
_He releases a breath that bleeds white against the dark night sky, the heaven without stars. "_ _So take me. And keep me.” Jihoon laughs bitterly, the midnight air cool against his skin. He takes Jinyoung’s face in his hands and presses his thumbs on his cheeks, gently rubbing the tear tracks away. “Jinyoung-ah, you are the only one who wants me around.”_

  
_\--_ the most precious night of his life. Even if he dies trying, he’s sick of Jihoon acting like a hard head asshole. He just wants to see a shadow of the old, dare he say, his Jihoon-hyung. He still had hope. His hands move faster than his sane mind, and he finds himself dialling.

  
So Jihoon hadn’t changed his number. The flame of hope continued burning.

  
“We need to talk.”

  
(But that was the problem with hope. If you can't fix what’s broken, you’ll go insane. Maybe that was the same with Jinyoung.)


End file.
